For example, lithium-8 has three protons and ... In beta decay, a proton or neutron in a nucleus emits a beta particle (an electron or its anti-particle, a positron) and a neutrino.

The proton, electron, and the antineutrino move away from one another emitting the electron as a beta particle. The process is summarised by the equation: \(_0^1n\rightarrow_1^1p+_{-1}^{\,\,\,\,\, ...